Hugo Chavez, Go Back To Venezuela And Take Danny Glover With You

So, Hugo Chavez, the outspoken President of Venezuela and South American whack-job comes to New York and blasts President Bush at the United Nations. Then he makes a speech the next day in Harlem at a church in which he continues to bash President Bush and Danny Glover, the actor of "Lethal Weapon" fame greets him there with open arms.

I'll be the first one to agree that President Bush hasn't been our best president and doesn't appear to be the brightest guy out there, but he is, after all, the President of the United States. In the past the Office of the President of the United States was respected world-wide, or rather, international politics was more civil.

For Hugo Chavez to come to the United Nations in New York, blast President Bush and get laughs from the United Nations audience and then to be allowed to go to a church in Harlem and continue it is just plain wrong! Before Hugo Chavez opens his fat face again, he really needs to look at his own country which has an unemployment rate of 12.3% and a per capita income of $5,800 but sits on top of an oil reserve. He should focus on making life better for the citizens of his own country instead of coming to the United States and taking shots at our President.

I wonder if he is compensating for his own failures and shortcomings (both public, personal and anatomical) by making the remarks that he does.

What is this world (and country) coming to when the leader of a small, third-world country can waltz on into the US and blast the President and an actor that got lucky with a series of movies but has been a hack actor prior to and since the Lethal Weapon movies supports him.

Here's where it really gets outrageous! The US pays Citgo (The US subsidiary of the Venezuelan State Owned Petroleum Company) $5 more a barrel over market prices based on a 20 year-old agreement according to the New York Times in an article titled Hugo Chavez Gets US Handouts published on August 20th, 2006! Looks like its time to ban oil imports from Venezuela to the US. We could claim that continued oil imports from Venezuela at higher than market prices are a threat to national security! I wonder if the citizens of Venezuela with the $5,800 per capita income would still keep Chavez in power then?

Based on the events this week that unfolded as a result of Chavez, I would love to see the following:

• Chavez gets a one way ride to the US Southern Border in the back of a truck and is told to find his way home (screw diplomatic immunity!)
• Danny Glover has his citizenship revoked and is sent packing with Chavez
• Citgo is shut down by US regulators and all oil imports from Venezuela are banned in the US
  
• The big Citgo sign near Fenway Park suffers an unexplanable loss of power
  
• The United Nations is given 30 days notice to vacate the property because the City of New York takes over the property by eminent domain to build a new stadium for the Yankees
  

These are just my thoughts but I bet a lot of folks are thinking the same way right now!

I'd love your comments on this one.

It's Almost Fall Which Means A Fantastic Show Of Color Here In New England

As we approach October, one of the most amazing things about being here is the show of colors nature produces this time of year.

Cranberry bogs are located throughout this part of Massachusetts and the annual cranberry harvest is underway. Driving around today, I came across this bog and had to snap the photo below.



In a few weeks the leaves will explode with color and the orchards will be in full gear for apple picking. It's a great time of year!

We Are Saddened By The Passing Of Our Hamster, Cutie

It's a sad evening at the Kozlowsky household as we mourn the passing of our hamster, Cutie.

He was a gift to Sophia for her starting to read a few years ago and was an affectionate little bugger. We originally thought that Cutie was a girl and it took us a year to realize she was a he. Cutie was 2-1/2 which is about 6 months beyond the normal life expectancy of a hamster. A few months ago he developed a bladder infection which was the result of a stone in his bladder and a maintence dose of antiobiotics kept him going for the past few months.

He had a knack for getting out of his cage and after a few days on the loose we always found him inside a baseboard heater or behind the refridgerator. One time he managed to crawl between the main and top floors of our house and we had to cut a hole in a closet floor to try and get him out. Our cat, Jello, and dog, Emma, were really gentle with Cutie and we're amazed that Jello never got a hold of Cutie and used him as a toy or a meal.

Cutie will be missed.

Nature, Nature Everywhere And Even In The House!

Tonight, while I was up on a ladder painting some exterior trim, I heard a commotion coming from inside the house. I climbed down and went inside to see what it was. I was surprised to see Sophia and our neighbors Jack and Mackenzie taking turns holding a huge dragonfly on their fingers that flew into the house. The kids were great with it and after we took the pictures (below) we brought it outside and set it on a plant outside. It was really cool!

Sophia And The Dragonfly

Jack And The Dragonfly

Mackenzie And The Dragonfly

It's Official...Summer Has Come To An End

Today was Sophia's last day of summer vacation and tomorrow she starts first grade. She is nervous and excited.

We went to the open house this morning to see her new classroom, get her supplies where they need to go and meet her teachers. At her school, she will be in the same classroom for first, second and third grade. She knows a lot of the kids in her classroom that will be in second and third grade and her friend Samantha who will be one of the second graders helped Sophia get situated today.

Being the last day of summer, we did what we always do on the evening before school starts which is to go down to the harbor, get ice cream at Peaceful Meadows and sit by the water while we eat our ice cream and look out at the boats. For Sophia it's a chance to get ice cream and for me it's the chance to go to a place that doesn't change from year to year and think about the changes that have taken place during the past year and think about how Sophia has changed over the past year.

It's hard to believe that Sophia is going into first grade. It's amazing to see our little girl growing up.

Our Thoughts And Prayers Go Out To The Family Of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter

We were saddened by the death of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, this morning. Through the years we have watched Steve Irwin on a regular basis and the passion and enthusiasm that he shared will be missed by us.

Sophia said she will miss most how funny he was.

Sandy will miss most his sense of humor.

John will miss most his passion, enthusiasm and his ability to teach about and share with us the creatures he cared about so much.

He was truly one of a kind.